The compounds used in the compositions of the invention are known.
Fieser et al., Am. Chem. Soc. 78:2825 (1956) for example teach N-alkyl arabonamide gluconamide compounds where the alkyl group has 10-18 carbons. The reference states, however, that these compounds are only slightly soluble in water and have no emulsifying power. Thus, there is clearly no teaching or suggestion that such compounds can be used as cosurfactants to enhance detergency of the other cosurfactants, and particularly in compositions free of boron.
Compounds of the invention are also taught, for example, in French Patent No. 2,523,962. Although the reference states the compounds may be used as surface active agents, there is no teaching or suggestion that they may be used as cosurfactants in detergent or personal wash compositions to enhance oily detergency, and there is certainly no teaching or suggestion that the compositions must be free of boron.
DE 2,330,087 teaches compounds of formula: ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 can be 4 to 8 carbons, x can be OH. The reference refers to a parent application DE 2,321,752 (where R.sub.1 was only 4 to 7). The parent states clearly that it is impossible to create stable emulsions with N-alkylaldonamides (including where n=3 and 4) where alkyl group is N-lauryl (12 carbons), N-cetyl (16 carbons) or N-stearyl (18 carbons).
Thus, in none of the references is there a teaching or suggestion that the compounds of the inventions an be used as cosurfactant in compositions to enhance detergency and there is certainly no teaching or suggestion that the compositions must be free of boron.
Finally, the surfactants of the invention are derivable from glyceric acid, a readily available material.